When Words Collide exists to provide an opportunity for the
literary community, from readers to writers to publishers, to gather
and share information and inspiration. With the belief that different
genres have more in common than they have differences, the festival
includes content for all types of literature including Mainstream,
Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Mystery, Historical, Literary, and
non-fiction.

When Words Collide is a 3-day festival (Friday noon - Sunday
evening) held in a convention hotel. Meeting space is used for
concurrent discussion panels, presentations, and workshops on a broad
range of topics of interest to readers and writers. A book room, which
is open to the public, hosts tables for publishers, book stores, and
literary organizations. One low weekend membership fee grants access
to all activities. There are no for-fee events (with the exception of
a banquet if one is held).

The festival program includes items you may find at a professional
writers conference, such as blue pencil cafe and pitch sessions, as
well as items you may find at a readers festival, such as talks,
readings, and autographs by best-selling authors. Most of the program
items are panel discussions where four authors, editors, or other
subject experts discuss the aspects of a topic such as how eBooks are
impacting how authors write and readers read. Other popular activities
include hands-on workshops, such as learning how people really lived
in the Victorian era, or improving dialog in your writing; and Live
Action Slush, where editors respond to manuscripts submitted by the
audience.

When Words Collide is not a writers' conference, where typically
all speakers are contracted by the organization and compensated with
speakers fees. The expenses for such conferences are relatively high,
which in turn means high fees for those attending. While expensive to
attend, such conferences are an excellent resource for serious
writers.

So what are we? Our festival is based on a 'volunteer' convention
model popular in the Science Fiction and Fantasy world that is
designed to attract writers of all levels while being affordable
enough to attract readers. This is accomplished by contracting a very
small number of guest speakers, with attending professionals
volunteering to participate in the remainder of the program. All
speakers, including the festival guests, volunteer their time and
expertise, graciously waiving speakers fees they may require at
professional events. Expenses are further reduced by all organizers
and staff also being volunteers. The registration fee charged to
attend the festival covers the cost of meeting rooms, travel &
accommodation of our festival guests, printing cost, and little
else.

The festival dedicates the lion's share of our budget each year to
honour a few members of the literary community, typically one
editor/publisher/agent and four or five authors, by paying their
expenses to attend the festival such as travel, hotel accommodations,
and meals. We rely on volunteer speakers from among attendees and the
Calgary area to fill the remainder of the program. If you would like
to volunteer to speak at the festival, please let us know.

In keeping with our policy of making the festival accessible to the
broader literary community by keeping registration fees low, we
require all attendees to purchase a festival membership. The only
exception are the official Festival Guests and approved members of the
media who attend events for the purpose of reporting on them. Even the
volunteers who organize the festival purchase memberships. Speakers
who attend the festival must also purchase memberships. That said,
speakers and volunteers who do not attend the festival outside of
their presentations or volunteer work have no need to register. In
short, we do not require people to register in order to speak or
volunteer (though most do as they intend to attend the festival when
they are not speaking or volunteering).

The festival has no events that require additional fees. Weekend
membership provides access to all day and evening events, including
the Blue Pencil Cafe, Pitch sessions, and festival workshops. We
cannot, however, guarantee that time slots for your preferred mentor
will be available. We may have pre-festival workshops or a banquet,
which are paid for separately, but these are sold separately and only
prior to the festival.

Many people attending the festival (around half) live outside of
Calgary. The start time allows most of them to drive or fly in without
having to stay at the hotel on the Thursday evening, thereby avoiding
the cost of an additional hotel night.

Pitch sessions and Blue Pencil Cafe are one-on-one mentored events
that run in the Wedgewood Boardroom. Pre-sign-up occurs via email
during July (look for a notice on our main page) with remaining spots
allocated via a sign-up book that is available near the registration
desk starting at 12 PM Friday. Attendees may check with the volunteer
outside the Wedgewood Boardroom during the weekend for openings due to
cancellations or no-shows.

An opportunity to sit down with a mentor for 12 minutes to receive
verbal feedback on a short sample of your writing. Bring the sample
with you. (You do not need to send it in before-hand). Seats must be
reserved via email in July (as per announced instructions) or in the
sign-up book.

A 5 minute opportunity to present your elevator pitch of your novel idea or completed manuscript to an editor or agent. If they like what they hear you may be asked to send them your query or manuscript. Or you may receive feedback on how to improve your pitch technique. Seats must be reserved via email in July (as per announced instructions) or in the sign-up book.

One of our most popular events. Writers in the audience hand in the
opening 2 pages of their novel manuscript at the start of the
session. A designated reader will read randomly from the pile,
withholding the author's name, while editors on the panel listen. If
an editor hears something that would make them stop reading and reject
the manuscript they put up their hand. Once all editors hands are
raised or the end of the two pages is reached, the moderator asks the
editors to comment. If the comments are positive they may ask the
author to reveal her or himself. Regardless, the author and everyone
in the room gains useful insights into the slush pile process and what
to do or not do in their manuscripts.